It’s Sunday morning in Toronto, and the city is imbibing in one of its favourite weekend rituals: brunch. Restaurants on every street teem with the smell of stale alcohol seeping out of the pores of hung-over diners. The aroma seems to compliment the general disorder of things, as does the sight of spilt coffee and the sound of screaming children. But the meal isn’t a total anarchic free-for-all. Every week, one type of Toronto resident remains perpetually brunch-free.

In Ontario restaurants, dogs are treated like furry, walking cigarettes. They are not allowed inside or on patios, forcing owners to chain their four-legged friends to fences and street poles before even thinking about putting their names down for a table at brunch.

Most dog owners know how frustrating this can be, especially since canine dining rules in many other parts of the world are much more relaxed. In Paris and Tokyo, dogs are allowed everywhere – from cafés to fine-dining establishments. Meanwhile, in London, they are permitted in most pubs. In New Brunswick, British Columbia and New York City, restaurant owners can choose to allow dogs on to their patios, and in Alberta, restaurateurs are given the freedom to file a request to let pets inside eateries.

The dog-friendly rules have spurred an entirely new genre of culinary experience, with many restaurants introducing dog menus, complete with table-side kibble service. At Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall in Calgary, dogs are encouraged to dine alongside their owners with a leash hitch and a dog bowl at every table. Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody, B.C. serves its special “K9” doggie cone featuring kibble mix blended into a plain ice cream base. Starbucks boasts a secret dog-friendly menu featuring puppuccinos, an espresso cup filled with a dollop of whipped cream. And across America, Shake Shack serves its Pooch-ini, a combination of bone-shaped biscuits, peanut butter sauce and vanilla custard that comes with the instructions: “Not intended for small dogs… just let ’em have a lick or two!”

The energy we have spent on banning dogs from restaurants is yet another example of an over-sterilized food culture.

In an increasingly saturated and competitive restaurant market, offering a specialized dog menu has become a way for chefs to boost their profits by endearing themselves to a dog-owning clientele. And unlike babies and children, whose cries don’t always enhance a restaurant’s overall ambiance, well-behaved dogs can inject an otherwise dull eatery with lively atmosphere, making the whole space feel more inviting. In Canada, where all dogs are required to be vaccinated against disease, there’s little need to worry about a pooch contaminating an eatery more than your average city-slicking, Whole Foods-loving anti-vaxxer. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found the public health risks of allowing dogs in restaurants is “very low as long as safety, sanitation and hygiene practices are enforced.”

But despite the benefits and proven safety of pet-friendly restaurants, many continue to deny dogs from partaking in brunch and finding their true foodie selves. In Ontario, eateries risk being fined and losing their food safety licenses if they allow dogs into their dining rooms. The province only permits canines in areas that are separate from anywhere where food is prepared or served. This requires restaurants to section off sterilized pet zones dedicated to food-less service, ultimately making it difficult and expensive to accommodate pets. The rule also misses the entire point of allowing dogs into restaurants to eat with their owners.

Dog-hating opponents argue that a canine’s uncontrollable behavior poses a health and safety risk in a setting where food is served, and that more restaurants across Canada should work to ban dogs entirely. While certainly no diner or restaurant staff wants to deal with pets that misbehave, prohibiting all dogs on the assumption that each one is going to lunge at the first waiter carrying a plate of chicken seems misguided and unfair.

The energy we have spent on banning dogs from restaurants is yet another example of an over-sterilized food culture that puts too much emphasis on the wrong things while overlooking what’s important. With some of the most laissez-faire canine dining rules in the world, France and Japan regularly let dogs into Michelin starred restaurants. We never hear about these ruthless pets destroying fine-dining establishments because it simply doesn’t happen. Instead, restaurants are free to focus on all the elements that have a real, tangible effect on creating great gastronomic experiences, like sourcing quality ingredients and understanding culinary tradition. As a result, both Japan and France are often regarded as having two of most advanced and outstanding food cultures in the world.

Of course, both countries haven’t become culinary heavyweights simply because they never tried to ban dogs from their restaurants. But the tendency to disregard such insignificant details hints at a greater culinary mindset that we, in Canada, lack.

In running a restaurant, there is an endless list of problems that are more pressing than having to keep dogs out of the dining room to avoid being fined, which is why the entire debate should be a non-issue. As long as the fridges and food prep counters remain dog-free, just as they would in any home kitchen, there shouldn’t be any harm in letting dogs sit inside a restaurant.